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Topic: Paperweight fest (Read 3467 times)

$75 is a bargain for an event like this. I went to the Wheaton website and read about all the activities. Wish I had the free time. May is such an odd month to do it. Wish they did it in August or late June.

I'm going to Wheaton because the exchange rate for Canadians is perfect, About four cents below US money, but I can live with that. I, too, think the $75 fee is just fine when you take in all the programmes.

I'm tempted to ask a polite question of a certain paperweight maker, who's going to be there, about the fake Paul Ysart weights and canes. I will not attack him or make any accusation. I will just simply ask if he has some clues or insights into who at Strathearn or Caithness or J Glass or even xxxx xxxx might have been working overtime and made the PY cane. I don't think it's unjust at all. Only an honest question. And the question will be asked with respect and politely - something like: With all the people working in Scottish and English paperweightmaking, someone took it upon him- or herself to make fake weights. Can you give us any hints or clues as to where to look?

A lot of collectors worked together and provided evidence to the police, including the location of the place containing the weights. The ring-leader was someone the police wanted - he was not a glassmaker - and they decided to concentrate on him. Big mistake, as he was too clever for them and they then carried out another raid and again came away empty handed. At this point they had to much trouble from their bosses and the investigation was killed off. Had they raided the people storing the weights first, it might have been a different story with a different ending but it never got touched.

The names of some of the people possibly involved are never going to be revealed, not neccesarily the names deleted above. It would serve no purpose to name the makers as they were merely pawns in a criminal activity and had no involvement in the sale or distribution. They did wrong but in my opinion do not deserve to be pilloried for it.

Having delved a bit further into the Wheaton Village web site and asked a question via e-mail, I have two additional bits of information.

First the bad news:It appears that the daily fee for the fest itself might just be not $75, but $125. I'm not sure where I came up with the original figure!! :oops: :cry:

...and the good newsThe e-mail answer stated that the museum is open on Saturday, AND for the normal entry fee of $10 you will be allowed to view the paperweight exhibits and mingle with the paperweighters - you will simply not be allowed to attend any of the fest specific events!

I had intended to take a copy of that e-mail with me as an entrance ticket, in case of problems. Unfortunately I deleted the message before printing - that seems to be a problem.

I got in with the plain old $10 entry fee for the museum, and spent almost 3 hours meeting dealers and makers and looking at lots of unbelievable weights!

People Highlights - let's see - * met John Deacon. * Bumped into Rick Ayotte (and we both said 'excuse me'!). * Met Paul Stankard's daughters and his apprentice. (Paul was late).* Met William Pitt - really nice dealer. He had offered at one time to buy my whole collection and congratulated me on how well I've been doing on Ebay.* Met Paul Dunlop from Statesville NC and his lovely wife (whose name I've forgotten). Didn't get to talk much with Paul - once he heard his wife tell me that the Robinson's had a Pantin, he was on his way to their booth!* Met a neat lady named Ethel - member of the Delaware Valley chapter of the PCA. She's 87 and has begun selling her collection because her kids "don't appreciate paperweights!" We were interrupted before I got to ask how/where she was selling the weights. Too bad, because she owns hundreds!* Finally met Suzie Kaplan Jacobson (one of the NYC Kaplan dealer family). Missed Alan.* Saw Jack Feingold (Gem Antiques) who enjoyed hearing the final outcome of the "Clichy made by Baccarat with Chinese Glass at the New England factory under the supervision of a crouching rabbit". He was one of the people who had thought it could be a St. Mande.

Paperweight highlights -* I actually not only photographed, but HELD a Pantin!!! It's for sale for the bargain price of $15,500 by Harvey and Doris Robinson (www.robinsonpaperweights.com). I did hand it back VERY CAREFULLY to Harvey once I saw the price tag!!!

* Had a long talk with Katherine, a Stankard daughter, about a huge 22 pound globe. Turns out that it is not possible to make a globe that big, so they make it in pieces which they then epoxy together! (You can see the lines where they do the gluing.) I did not consider picking it up as the asking price is $40,000! Katherine is in the picture so you can see how big the globe really is.

As to the Stankard piece - I asked, kind of as an aside, how long it takes to make one of those monsters. Katherine said maybe one day of each of the lampwork pieces and another day for assembly. Alan (the apprentice) later commented that a piece like that takes weeks. I tend to think he was more accurate just because it must take forever for the huge pieces of glass to cool properly.

I then asked Katherine how often they actually sell one of those pieces. She very politely changed the subject. I personally cannot understand why someone would purchase a piece like that - just think how many truly fine paperweights you could buy for $40,000!!

Thanks for the excellent recap of your Wheaton experience, Don!I was in LA, CA. for my son's graduation and am sorry to have missed meeting you and so many wonderful people that I only know via the internet + some others whom I have met at previous PCA conventions.BTW, I'm still loving that Murano snake with baby snakes weight you sold me on ebay!